The gift of riding lessons has changed two young lives forever. August's Pet Lovers of the Month, Taylor Gilmore of Dillsburg, York County, and Abby Alsted of Etters, York County, share a mutual love of horses and other creatures. A former equestrian myself, I had the privilege of watching these girls during a group lesson at the Total Equine Center in Mechanicsburg. What I observed was happiness, talent and soft control of the gentle giants - horses they don't even own. An eight-year veteran of the center, 16-year-old Gilmore helps school new horses and presents grooming seminars for beginners.

Dutchess, a Welsh pony, shares a barnyard at the Jeffrey Borger farm in Kunkletown with an assortment of cows. The Welsh pony was developed by miners in Wales to work in the cramped tunnels of coal mines.

A 6-year-old boy died Friday after being kicked in the throat by a pony on a Lancaster County farm. According to New Holland police Lt. Jonathan Heisse, the boy was playing in a pasture in New Holland with other children around 10:30 a.m. Thursday when he approached a pony from behind. The pony became startled and kicked the boy in the throat, making him unable to breathe. New Holland Ambulance and an Ephrata Community Hospital medic unit provided emergency care before the boy, whose name and addressed were not released, was airlifted to Hershey Medical Center.

A 6-year-old boy died Friday after being kicked in the throat by a pony on a Lancaster County farm. According to New Holland police Lt. Jonathan Heisse, the boy was playing in a pasture in New Holland with other children around 10:30 a.m. Thursday when he approached a pony from behind. The pony became startled and kicked the boy in the throat, making him unable to breathe. New Holland Ambulance and an Ephrata Community Hospital medic unit provided emergency care before the boy, whose name and addressed were not released, was airlifted to Hershey Medical Center.

No purpose would be served by making fun of the Upper Mount Bethel supervisors over the chaotic events of the last week. There was a supervisors' road inspection that ended in a fist fight, a judge's finding that Supervisor Ron Angle must repay more than $6,000 he collected from the township in 1986 and 1987, and Angle's charges that township police are mishandling an investigation into allegations of improper sexual conduct by a township police officer....

Six horses, a donkey and a pony were saved from a barn blaze Saturday night in District Township in Berks County. The fire at 309 Treichler Road destroyed a family's 40-by-60 foot barn and an equipment shed, along with 4,000 bales of hay, said Adam Wilson, the chief of Seisholtzville Fire Co. The property is listed to Lynn Ziegenfuss, according to county tax records. Firefighters were called about 10 p.m. to the rural township southwest of Alburtis. The family had rescued the horses, donkey and pony before crews arrived, Wilson said.

Instructor Chen Almadaoui, above right, encourages children Thursday after they correctly answer a question about ponies during PonyShare camp at Lenape Park in Perkasie. The weeklong camp, hosted by PonyShare, an organization that provides equine entertainment and education, teaches children about pony grooming and riding and horsemanship. PonyShare has three camps at Lenape Park in the summer. Top left, Selena Gebert, 5 (front), and Sierra Schaeffer, 6, both of Perkasie, comb the mane of a pony named Bob. Above left, instructor Gabriel Vibert describes the parts of the Western saddle.

State police are seeking the owner of a Shetland pony found wandering yesterday along a road in Lower Macungie Township. A trooper who declined to identify himself said he found the brown and tan pony walking near Cedar Crest Boulevard and Lower Macungie Road at 11 a.m. The pony was wearing a red harness. "It looks like it's in pretty good shape, well-groomed and it's tame," the trooper said. "It might have been somebody's or a family pet in a garage or barn and got out and just walked away.

A jittery pony had to be sedated and hauled out of a trailer that turned on its side on Route 309 in Coopersburg yesterday, borough police said. Joseph McGill, 32, of Forest Hill Drive, Bethlehem, was pulling the two-horse trailer about 3:50 p.m. when the hitch broke, police said. The trailer traveled about 40 feet and hit a light pole, the fell on its side near Landis Street. Bucky, the pony, "was kicking around in there," Patrolman Michael Shabbick said. A veterinarian had to inject Bucky with a sedative.

Here's a novel idea. How about the persons, groups or organizations that want a hockey arena in downtown Allentown pony up the money for it themselves and leave us, the taxpayers, out of the equation? Hmmmm? James McGinley Bethlehem

Celebrate the sights, sounds and smells of autumn at the Easton Farmers Market's Scarecrow Fest, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Centre Square, Easton. You'll find everything from a scarecrow-building contest to a pumpkin bake-off to live music at the annual family event. The fest has a country-western theme. Pony rides will be offered 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. A Wild West Show, featuring trick-roping, gun-slinging, magic, bluegrass music and more, will be on stage at 10 a.m. The acts also will stroll through the market 11 a.m.-noon.

Take a ride to the Devon Horse Show and Country Fair, where you'll find activities for the entire family. The annual 11-day event began on Thursday along Route 30 in Chester County and continues through June 5. Sunday's events include the Antique Carriage Pleasure Drive, which will be judged at noon. And, at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. in the show ring, the Dixon Oval, are jumper pony, adult jumper and horse and pony tandem competitions, where contestants of various skill levels, including some Olympians, will ride.

Six horses, a donkey and a pony were saved from a barn blaze Saturday night in District Township in Berks County. The fire at 309 Treichler Road destroyed a family's 40-by-60 foot barn and an equipment shed, along with 4,000 bales of hay, said Adam Wilson, the chief of Seisholtzville Fire Co. The property is listed to Lynn Ziegenfuss, according to county tax records. Firefighters were called about 10 p.m. to the rural township southwest of Alburtis. The family had rescued the horses, donkey and pony before crews arrived, Wilson said.

The firefighter overtime that Easton officials blame for draining city coffers has cost $2 million during the past three years and bolstered some annual paychecks by nearly 50 percent, city records show. Five city firefighters have made more than $90,000 in overtime since 2007, according to a Morning Call analysis of payroll records obtained under the state Right-to-Know Law. John Hartman, an 11-year veteran of the fire department, earned $106,350, the most of anyone. Between 2007 and the end of 2009, Hartman made an average annual $54,000 in regular earnings and $26,000 in overtime, the analysis shows.

An attorney who says his daughter's pony was mauled by an escaped stallion has filed suit in Northampton County Court against the owners of the stallion. Attorney William A. Duh filed suit on behalf of himself and his 8-year-old daughter, Emily Louise, against Dennis and Bonnie Taglang. All parties in the suit live in Lower Saucon Township, at Hellertown R.2. According to the suit, the Duhs owned a dapple-gray pony named Laura that they had purchased because of a pleasant disposition and willingness to be handled and ridden by children.

Butterscotch the miniature Shetland pony stands 3 feet tall, with a head that moves in response to sound or touch, eyes that blink and ears that wiggle. Strong enough for a child to sit on, this carefree (no stalls to muck or vet bills to pay) pony makes walking noises, snorts and whinnies. It will even eat a "carrot" and swish its tail. Also available: S'mores, a black-and-white version. Both weigh 80 pounds and come with "carrot," brush, halter and a special adoption certificate.

Forget the Norman Rockwell image of the white-capped milkman leisurely delivering milk and making conversation. Now, picture this day in the life of a milkman: You're up at 3 a.m., lugging heavy crates of milk bottles through the darkened pre-dawn streets of Allentown to set beside hundreds of homes. Then, you're racing back to the dairy to recycle empty bottles, returning to your route to collect money and darting home for a quick dinner and a few hours of sleep -- before you get up to do it all over again.

LeAnn Rimes is putting her own stamp on My Little Pony. The singer is among celebrities and artists who've agreed to design some new versions of My Little Pony, the plastic toy that has captivated girls since the 1980s. Pawtucket-based Hasbro Inc. will auction the special ponies for the Give Kids The World charity as part of a celebration of the toy's 25th anniversary. The celebrities and artists were given blank, 18-inch versions of the usually 4-inch-tall ponies to decorate.